Lifting-fork



(No Model.) v. I

PARSONS. LIFTING PORK.

No 515,162. Patented Feb. 20, 1894.

WITNESSES //v vEX/mfi V B) I Arron/vars.

wmmawn. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE M. PARSONS, OF VIRGINIA CITY, NEVADA.

LlFTING-FORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 515,162, dated February 20, 1894.

Application filed May 2, 1898. $erial No. 472,758. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. PARSONS, of Virginia City, in the county of Storey and State of Nevada, have invented a new and Improved Lifting-Fork, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in lifting forks, and especially to forks of the kind which are adapted for kitchen use for lifting hot dishes.

The object of my invention is to producea fork which is of simple construction and can therefore be very cheaply made, which is shaped from a single piece of wire, which is strong and durable, is easily operated, and by which hot dishesof almost every conceivable kind and description may be conveniently and safely handled, without fear of breaking the dishes or burning the fingers.

To these ends my invention consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved fork, showing it in closed position; and Fig. 2 is a view of the open fork with the locking button in section.

The fork, which is the embodiment of my invention, is formed of a single piece of wire having thenecessary stiffnessand springiness, and the wire near its endsis shaped intojaws 10 which extend substantially parallel with each other and which, at their outer ends, terminate in converging hooks 11 adapted to meet at the ends, as shown in Fig. 1, while the jaws at their inner ends are provided with inwardly extending converging hooks 12, these being formed by bending the wire of the jaws inward and then doubling and returning it upon itself. The jaws at their inner ends merge in converging members 13 which cross, as shown at 14, and which are united by a coil 15, the members 13, at a point between their inner section, and the coil, forming a handle 16 which may be conveniently grasped.

On the handle of the fork is a sliding button 17 which serves to open and close the jaws, and to lock them, as hereinafter described; and this button is provided with holes 18 to receive the fork members, the holes being placed at an angle to each other, as shown in Fig. 2, and this arrangement enables the button to slip with suflicient easeand it also prevents it from being split by the pressure of the members upon it or of it upon the members. The button serves also to prevent the wires or members 13 from flying apart and getting twisted or tangled, as the two holes always keep the members in the right relative position. When the button is pushed toward the coil 15, it causes the outer ends of the members 13 and the jaws 10 to swing apart, and thejaws may thus be placed over any dish within the limits of the spread of the fork, after which the button may be pushed in the opposite direction so as to force the jaws together and jam the hooks 11 and 12 into close contact with the object to be raised, and then the said object may be easily raised by lifting on the fork. When this is done, the hand is kept in close contact with the button, so as to prevent it from slipping back and thus permit the jaws to flare apart and drop the object held by them.

If the article to be raised is a comparatively flat dish such as a pie plate, the hooks are placed uppermost so that the jaws 10 will rest beneath the edges of the plate, while the hooks 11 and 12 will extend upward above the edges, and in this way the plate may be conveniently and safely raised and carried. If the article to be lifted is an oval or comparatively deep dish, the hooks 11 and 12 are turned beneath the jaws, thejaws arespread, as described,by pushing back the button 17, and the hooks are placed over the upper edge of the article to be raised so as to straddle the same, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, after which the hooks are tightened in place by pushing out the button 17 and the article may then be safely raised.

' It will be seen from the above description, that the lifting fork is of very cheap and simple construction, and that it may be very easily applied to a great variety of dishes, also that when applied to a dish it holds the latter very securely.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A lifting fork, comprising Wire members provided with jaws each formed with a hook at its inner and outer end,the members being crossed and united to form a handle, and a locking button sliding on the members, substantially as described.

2. A lifting fork comprising wire members [0 provided with jaws having converging hooks at their inner and outer ends, the members being crossed and united by a coil, and a button provided with apertures through which the members pass, the said apertures being at an angle to each other, substantially as r 5 herein shown and described.

GEORGE M. PARSONS. Witnesses:

JOHN H. BORNHOLDT, WM. SUTHERLAND. 

